Today we are delving into magnesium, an essential mineral for many aspects of human health. Many people know that magnesium is wonderful for muscle recovery and to prevent cramping and headaches. However, magnesium is used for much more than muscle recovery by your body. Let’s take a look at what magnesium does, the signs of deficiency, and the best food sources of this essential mineral.
What does Magnesium do in the body?
Magnesium is a catalyst to over 300 different enzymatic reactions, which means that almost all of our body systems rely on magnesium for their metabolic functioning; cardiovascular health, thyroid function, muscle and nerve signalling, blood sugar control and more. It’s also very important for bone health and works in conjunction with calcium to create strong healthy skeletal structure. Our nervous system also relies on magnesium to send signals and function optimally, which flows on to creating healthy moods and good quality sleep.
It has many other functions in the body too, and is called an ‘essential’ mineral because we must consume it through the diet every day for health.
Magnesium Deficiency signs
Due to the widespread use of magnesium in the body, deficiency signs and symptoms can be many and varied. However, there are some that are more common than others. Here is a non-exhaustive list of those:
- Muscular aches and pains
- Cramping
- Headaches and migraines
- Insomnia
- Restless legs
- Anxiety and depression
- Poor memory and concentration
- Irritability
- High stress and poor stress tolerance
- Fatigue/ exhaustion
- Premenstrual tension and PMS symptoms
Other things that deplete magnesium from your body include caffeine, alcohol, pharmaceutical medications, pregnancy, high intensity exercise and high stress levels.
If you find yourself expressing some of these symptoms, low on energy or feeling very stressed, adding some magnesium rich foods to your diet will help replenish your magnesium stores.
Foods that help replenish magnesium
Adding magnesium rich foods into your diet on a daily basis is a good insurance policy against magnesium depletion. The following foods are rich in magnesium:
- Nuts and seeds such as almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts etc
- Whole grains – quinoa, brown rice, oats, buckwheat etc
- Dark green leafy veggies – kale, silver beat, spinach etc
- Kidney beans, black beans and other legumes
- Raw cacao and good quality dark chocolate
Magnesium is found abundantly in foods that are grown in mineral rich soils, however supplementing with extra magnesium is often necessary. There are a number of different types of magnesium supplement, let’s take a look at them below.
Magnesium supplements
The magnesium supplement that you choose depends on the specific reason why you need it. Here are some of the more commonly available forms.
Magnesium amino acid chelate
This form of magnesium is well absorbed and gentle on the stomach. It is good for muscle health, energy and general magnesium support.
Magnesium orotate
This is the magnesium of choice for cardiovascular health. It has an affinity for heart muscle and is wonderful for high blood pressure.
Magnesium glycinate
This form of magnesium is wonderful for insomnia. It assists with sleep onset and staying asleep longer.
Magnesium theronate
This type of magnesium is known to cross the blood brain barrier, which means it is wonderful in any nervous system and mood disorder support.
The dosage of magnesium that you need also depends on your unique needs, dietary intake, stress levels and more.
As always, it’s really important to seek the help of a qualified Naturopath before beginning nutritional or herbal supplementation of any kind, especially if you are on existing medications or have health concerns. Please make an appointment via the booking tab to ensure you get the best and safest supplements for your unique needs.
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